Several processing challenges surround the production of chip packaging modules for housing a chip. In chip packaging manufacturing, a chip is often covered by mold material, which protects the chip. Some chips in particular, may require that a portion of the chip is left uncovered, e.g. chips with sensors. In such cases, care is needed to ensure that the mold tool does not hit or destroy the chip, when attempting to leave a portion of the chip uncovered. FIG. lA shows a prior art pre-molded cavity package 100 wherein a pre-molded cavity formed from a mold material 104, 104a may be used to house a chip 102. A leadframe 106 may form part of the cavity package before chip 102 is inserted into the cavity. Chip 102 may be adhered to leadframe 106 on a bottom side of chip 102. Top side of chip 102 may have electrical contacts 108 which may be connected via a connection 112, e.g. a conductive wire, to leadframe 106. The casting of soft gel 114 over chip 102 is a necessary step, which raises questions with respect to performance, reliability, and with respect to the production of bubbles in soft gel 114.
FIG. 1B shows a cavity package 110 in which a chip 102 may be sealed with a mold material 104a over chip 102, wherein mold material 104a may be in connection with chip 102, e.g. in connection with a chip top side, through the use of a molding tool. Chip 102 may be adhered to leadframe 106 on a bottom side of chip 102. The complicated mold process risks damaging chip 102, e.g. a chip die, as the molding tool needs to be sealed on chip 102 directly.
FIGS. 1C and 1D show cavity packages 120 and 130 respectively in which a soft polymer drop 114 may be deposited on chip 102 in FIG. 1C and a soft polymer casting 114a may be deposited on chip 102 in FIG. 1D, e.g. over a surface on a top side of chip 102. Chip 102 may be adhered to leadframe 106 on a bottom side of chip 102. The chip 102 may be sealed with mold material 104a in connection with chip 102, e.g. in connection with a chip top side, and soft polymer drop 114 in FIG. 1C and soft polymer casting 114a in FIG. 1D. For example, mold material 104 may cover chip 102 from a bottom side, and mold material 104a may cover chip 102 from a top side. In manufacturing the cavity package of FIG. 1C, chip 102 may be sealed with the molding tool on soft polymer drop 114. In manufacturing the cavity package of FIG. 1D, chip 102 may be sealed with the molding tool on soft polymer casting 114a. The complicated mold process risks contaminating the mold tool. The method further requires a complicated gel casting process which poses difficulties in manufacturing reproducibility. Even though the above methods may be used on sensor surfaces, they are limited to be used on surfaces which can tolerate gel coverage, which may exclude most electrical, mechanical and electromechanical sensors. Furthermore, as gel casting is a necessary step, this may affect the performance of the chip.